Industry Interview

When did you realise you wanted to work within the fashion industry, and why fashion? Helen's family worked in Saville Row and Myra's owned an Atelier in Italy so it was a way of life for us both rather than a decision, it was and is the most natural thing for us to do and we are devoted to the art of luxury fashion design.

Have you always wanted to start your own fashion brand? We met whilst studying at the London College of Fashion and our design aesthetic and vision is the same and so we started the HEMYCA brand as soon as we graduated. We had already worked for leading designers and international brands which gave us the skills and confidence to launch our own label.

What were your inspirations to creating HEMYCA? We wanted to create collections with a strong focus on creating emotional yet functional clothing for dynamic confident women, regardless of size, age and shape. Clothing that transcends the usual fashion stereotypes and that remain timeless.

What have been the biggest challenges of running your own business? The business side and financial side of running a business is vitally important but unless you train in business as well as fashion then you have to learn fast and mistakes are costly! Fashion is extremely fast paced and evolving constantly and time management is essential to stay ahead and create a viable brand which is not just pretty clothes on a hanger. It is a lot of hard work!

Where does your inspiration come from for your collections? HEMYCA is fascinated by the struggle between dark and light in everything and everyone, historical female icons, themes explored throughout their collections with a strong focus on complex cutting, precision tailoring with exceptional detailing and a distinctive edge.

Where do you hope to see HEMYCA in the future? We started HEMYCA with a vision to create a globally recognised brand synonymous with luxury and quality and this year Fashion Press Week awarded HEMYCA “the brightest and most directional fashion brand in the UK”, this accolade confirms that we are going in the right direction and achieving recognition for our hard work!